


Frustration

by forwardarcadia



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 10:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2384207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forwardarcadia/pseuds/forwardarcadia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chronicles on writer’s block and other annoyances, as experienced by a fellow author.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frustration

”Damn it all!” Shauntal cried out, snapping her laptop shut in utter frustration.

She sharply forced her wheeled chair back, sliding into her bookshelf walls. “Blasted writer’s block,” the Elite muttered to herself as she shut her eyes tightly. She was achingly close to finishing a draft for her latest novel. In her agitated state, most everything enraged her, but especially her beloved books. They’d served to mock her predicament as of late.

Since she rarely received challengers for Unova’s Elite Four/Champion trials, Shauntal had lots of free time to work on her literary career. As such, she managed to carve out a lucrative niche, writing several well-regarded books alongside her elevated battling status. All was well and good until the fallow periods hit. Sometimes, she would hit a wall in her progress, and that’s when work became pure torture.

Of all she despised, Shauntal hated writer’s block the most. It merely served to muddle her busy mind even more so, as well as taunt her capabilities. Though the creative ‘ailment’ came here and there, she still hadn’t found a perfect cure for it. In her current state, it seemed there wouldn’t be an easy solution either.

A fleeting thought went to her fellow artists, knowing they shared her pain as well, before she rummaged through her her block killers.

Sometimes a snack and a stiff drink helped. A crumb-littered plate and an empty cup sat on her desk. “No, I’m not hungry,” she mused, chewing her lip.

Other times, speaking with her fellow Elites did the trick. Shauntal opened her eyes, glancing at a nearby clock flashing 4:20 A.M. Unova time. “No, they’re all asleep, so I’m not bugging them.” She paused to breathe in deeply. “Okay, Caitlin’s usually asleep, but still.”

How about speaking with some other friends? “Are they asleep? Would they want to talk now?” She shrugged apathetically, not having the energy to fiddle with multi-regional time-zones and such. 

Music can help. At this point, any melodies would’ve sounded like Chatot-born noises to the Elite. 

Go to bed, then. Of her many habits, Shauntal did hate to sleep with a heavy mind. She preferred an all or nothing approach to her works, and leaving unfinished business would nag her restlessly.

Perhaps an outside distraction would be best now. Wearily, she tried to find a new preoccupation. “What’s on TV?” the Elite pondered, activating a hidden television screen with in her chamber’s shelves. A barrage of Devon Corp. infomercials, Eevee and Friends re-runs, and Poke Media Zone footage assaulted her vision. 

Other than wondering if fellow Kalosian Elite Malva hosted PMZ (it really looked like her), this late-night viewing did little to remedy her nerves. Shauntal flipped through more channels, eyes becoming more strained by the second. In the blur, she paused on what seemed to be a live-action children’s program.

The host, an Ace Trainer, was all smiles and cheer against a neon tinted backdrop. She had several Pokemon companions beside her as they approached a fearsome witch-type. “Wait, is that-” Shauntal thought in bewilderment, squinting to clarify her sight. “Sabrina? What the hell’s she doing in this thing?”

The Elite had become very aware of the Kanto Gym Leader since she’d come to Unova to be a movie star. Personally, Shauntal thought of Sabrina as an excellent. respectable actor. Needless to say, seeing her on this ludicrous show was quite the shock.

What was more shocking was the program’s writing quality. Throughout this episode, there were interminable stretches of the ‘heroes’ doing nothing, lazily written songs, questionable morals and uneven, unlikable characterizations. As Shauntal watched on, she was enthralled and disgusted by what she saw. Nevermind Sabrina’s talent being wasted on such dreck, who approved all this, especially for children?

In her elevated rage, the Elite made mental notes on how to improve, well, everything in the show. As Shauntal internally filled out (what seemed like) several pages of notes on the sights, her thoughts miraculously shifted to her own prose. A renewed torrent of inspiration came to her and she sat straight up, a big, gleeful smile on her face.

Her laptop was suddenly activated as she furiously scribbled notes on scrap papers settled around. “Thank Arceus, I’ve finally got it!” she exclaimed inwardly, further composing her own thoughts. Soon as the device was running, Shauntal opened up the draft, filling it in with the newly-composed prose.

As she rapidly typed away, the TV show flickered in the background, as a reminder of such strange inspiration. With a few more sentences, she skimmed over her work with deep pride and relief. The infernal draft was now completed; the hardest part was done with.

Shauntal clasped her hands in joy, relishing the satisfaction of a job well done. She applied spell-check and other editing measures before saving her work completely. When it’d been properly done, the Elite toggled a new document, readying herself for the next project. Such things would have to wait, though.

But for now, she was merely thrilled to overcome the dreaded writer’s block once more. More fleeting thoughts went to thanking Sabrina for her ‘assistance’, among other things, until the Elite unknowingly collapsed on her laptop in exhaustion.

The following morning, Shauntal awoke to a word document consisting of several pages of the letter B, and her television showing local Unovan news. “What the-” she asked groggily, mind flashing to the night’s events. “Oh, right.” She yawned, stretching herself out languidly.

"All’s well in love and literature, I suppose."


End file.
